Enhanced Security Configuration for Internet Explorer

Several changes were made to the default settings in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 for Microsoft Windows Server 2003. The following are the changes URL security zones.

• Default security template for the Internet Zone is adjusted from Medium to High
• Default security template for the Trusted sites is adjusted from Low to Medium

In Win2K3, automatic detection of intranet sites is disabled. ActiveX controls, script, and the Microsoft virtual machine (Microsoft VM) cannot be used from any Internet Web site. Additionally, files cannot be downloaded from these sites.

Intranet vs. Trusted sites

• Default security template for Intranet (in Win2K3) is Medium-low; Intranet uses the LocalIntranet permission set.
• Default security template for Trusted sites (in Win2K3) is Medium; Trusted sites use the Internet permission set.

The Medium-low security template allows NTLM credentials to be sent to sites that request them.

The order for zones from high security to low security in Win2K3 is: Restricted sites, Internet, Truested sites, and Intranet. And the order for zones from high security to low security in Win2K is: Restricted sites, Internet, Intranet, and Trusted sites.